Catnip
by letmeupme
Summary: A series of cat-related drabbles. Chapter Five:Continuation of Grey. Chapter Six:A meeting of a child and a kitten in the streets of Heian.
1. Chapter 1: Catnip

Author's note: Review, please- Or, maybe not.  
This is a shameless smut piece I have here, with intended (and unintended) puns and (to some readers, no doubt) very distasteful lemon.  
If you don't like any of the mentioned, please turn page to Chapter Two.

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Disclaimer: I do not own xxxHolic.

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Catnip

By letmeupme

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"Oi."

"…No."

The pause has weight. It gives you the impression of an affronted cat, turning its head to look away from the offender.

The impression is not inaccurate.

The cat is a young, slender black-haired specimen with bad eye-sight, and the most adorable ears –the platonic ideal of cat ears, if you may- perched atop his head. His relatively short, curly hair is sleek, and his tail shines as if in moonlight. He goes by the name Watanuki.

The other cat is a more masculine figure, all broad shoulders and strong legs. He, too, has black ears and a tail, but his ears droop, giving the impression of a more canine persuasion. This cat is currently in the position of mounting Watanuki, and is known as Doumeki.

Correctly interpreting the 'oi' for what it is, Watanuki shivers.

He does enjoy it. He really does. It feels good, and it makes him feel safe, loved, and connected to the stupid fold-eared cat he is in love with.

He is also very, very tired.

If he doesn't stand firm now, it will definitely lead to one very dead cat. 9-lives are not enough when you had a Doumeki on your hands.

"Absolutely not, you son of a bitch. Don't even think about it."

The insult holds no heat, grave as it is to felines.

If the hearer is as experienced in Watanuki's speech as the large cat is, the hearer might even notice the slight purr accompanying the second sentence.

Perhaps the purr is there because the larger cat, Doumeki, is currently rearing up for another round. The enlargement of the larger cat's organ in turn, affects the smaller cat's passage, making the smaller cat more susceptible to the notion.

Still aching from the multiple rounds of the previous night, however, Watanuki is undecided.

Doumeki decides the smaller cat needs a little nudge in the right direction.

He catches the smaller cat by the scruff of his neck with his fangs.

The movement serves two purposes, one, holding Watanuki in place, and two, turning Watanuki on.

The larger cat knows, through trial and error, that despite his protests, Watanuki likes being dominated, and has a very sensitive neck.

Watanuki, knowing where this leads, is helpless against it.

Doumeki slowly grinds his hips against Watanuki's.

Watanuki, flush rising to his cheeks, lets out a soft mewl.

Adding a slight chewing motion to his hold on Watanuki's neck, Doumeki continues gyrating his hips.

He whimpers,

"It's not fair, you bastard-_nngh._"

When Watanuki's tail snakes out from between their bodies to join Doumeki's tail above them, Doumeki knows this to mean the smaller cat has finally catipulated.

This time, however, Doumeki thinks Watanuki could do with a little begging.

He has sated his raging thirst for Watanuki's flesh mostly by the sixth run. The more seductive tones had run their course by the eighth.

Now, he can concentrate on other things. Making the other cat beg, he knows, will make for easier access the next season.

The large cat is nothing if not practical.

He continues his movements, slow and gentle.

Watanuki's whimpers turn into tortured mewls. Doumeki resists the urge to satisfy the longing he hears in them.

Doumeki stops moving.

He waits.

Finally, Watanuki breaks. He tries to kill the frustrated tears that threaten to spill out.

He tries not to give in. But his vocal chords move of their own accord,

"Please, Doumeki…"

The larger cat releases his hold on Watanuki's neck.

Ignoring the enticing little gasp that accompanies that motion, he speaks,

"Please what."

Silence accompanies Doumeki's words.

It is filled with patient brooding and mounting fury.

The silence is broken by the hissing of one angry cat.

"'Please what,' you ask me. 'Please what,' you ask me? Oh the gall! If it weren't for YOUR insistence that this eighth, no ninth time? I've even lost count! If it weren't for your insistence that THIS would be a good idea, we wouldn't even be in this position-!"

Doumeki quite abruptly slams his hips into that of Watanuki, effectively silencing the smaller cat.

"Please what?"

Ignoring the delightful clenching going on below, Doumeki tenderly licks at Watanuki's face.

The smaller cat's facial expression softens minutely.

Taking no notice of what could have been 'a moment' as Yuuko-san might say, Doumeki continues to lick at Watanuki's face.

And lick.

And lick.

Long, full strokes to taste all the goodness that is Watanuki.

It's almost as good as that tuna casserole they'd found by the red house the other day...

Watanuki bursts,

"Stop it with the licking, you, you dog!"

Listening to Watanuki hissing, well, Doumeki thinks it is not quite as good as licking him, but still a good thing.

"-Ugh, all that _dog_ slobber is going to take days to wash off. If you want to hear it so much, I'll let you.

Please, please fuck me. Fuck me into oblivion. Fuck me to death."

Even good things can get better.

"-see if I care, you're already going to be the death of me, you stupid _dog_. Now if you would please get going with _fucki_-"

Doumeki happily acquiesces to the request, slowly building a rhythm that would last longer than their previous rounds. Frowning for a moment, he stops to think.

"I'm not so sure about the part of fucking you to death.

We have next season to think about, you know.

And well, I've already 'fucked you into oblivion' three times this season, so we won't be doing that either. It's not good for your blood pressure."

The sputtering response is as magnificent as ever, and Doumeki decides this season has been a good one.

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Author's Note:

I've decided that the previous format felt just a bit icky, and changed it.

Thank you for reading. If it pleases, or displeases you, do review!


	2. Chapter 2: Grey

Author's note: A sad day.

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Disclaimer: I do not own xxxHolic.

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Catnip

By letmeupme

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Vast webs of unbreakable material are falling, closing in on him from all directions.

With his bad eye sight, the blue-eyed cat has always been at a great disadvantage compared to his more able brethren.

_I guess it's been a miracle I've lasted this long, anyway-_

But staring in the dead eyes of the ugly giants controlling the webs, he also feels a fierce determination not to go down without a fight.

_Not when that idiot is waiting for me- not when I've finally found a home-_

Hissing with all his might, he leaps.

He might get lucky. He might get through the webs-

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_Damn_.

Scrabbling for purchase on the smooth threads, he changes tack, frantically trying to reach the edge of one web.

His oft ridiculed light stature allows for this maneuver, but the giants are one step ahead of him.

The web had been only slightly overlapping with another web. He could have climbed through.

_No,_

The grey of the webs increases against the blue of the sky in his vision.

The giants have begun weighing down the edges with their stones, blanketing the first web with others.

_No!_

His fury at being caught gives him new energy. He knows there is little hope of escaping now.

He swipes at the approaching men. He is injured by a twisted maneuvering of the nets, but he continues to spit and fight.

Despite the broken paw, he feels a vague triumph at the surprise and slight fear he sees in their eyes.

_I guess it's been a miracle I've lasted this long, anyway-_

Ignoring the firm grip one of them has on him, he looks around to see his home for the last time.

Hearing the slight clang of a cage being opened for him, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

He won't cry, he won't call for help. It is against his dignity.

Let the other alley dwellers know that he fought to the end.

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Rearing for a last, spitting attack on his trapper, however, he catches sight of a large black blur heading towards them, and it captures his heart in an icy grip.

_Please, no-_

Golden eyes flash at him, ordering him to be silent.

_No, no, no, no. No-_

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The black blur collides with his trapper.

The coarse cries of the men rise around them, bringing more of them to replace the fallen one.

Further irritated at the pain of falling to the ground on his wounded leg, he spits at the golden eyed cat,

"_Stupid Doumeki!"_

They don't have the luxury for eye contact, but the blue eyed cat doesn't miss the quiet hiss of the other.

"_Idiot."_

His fur lies flat a little at the voice. The voice always has that effect on him, despite the cat himself being so irritating.

"_It's Watanuki to you, stupid."_

As the line of men close in on them, he is angry.

He is angry at the golden eyed cat for doing something this stupid. Doumeki shouldn't have come.

He is angry at himself, for letting himself get caught.

He is angry at himself, for putting Doumeki in danger.

He is angry at the men, and knows that he could no more allow them to take Doumeki than he could take the moon.

Climbing the leg of one attacker, he scratches and bites, drawing blood,

.

_Not Doumeki._

_They're not getting Doumeki. I won't allow it._

_._

Mid-fight, the larger cat grabs Watanuki by the scruff, and breaks for it.

Two lefts, one right.

Up a stairway, across the rooftops.

Watanuki is thrown across a gaping chasm.

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He turns on Doumeki, still on the other side.

"_What was that!"_

He'll be giving the other cat a piece of mind when he gets here.

The throwing was disgraceful enough, but did the bastard have to carry him all the way?

_I'll have to remind him that I'm quicker on my feet than certain big headed freaks even with a broken paw-_

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He is puzzled when the cat shows no sign of making the leap.

"_Go."_

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_What-?_

He follows Doumeki's gaze, and sees the men scaling the ladder on the other side.

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He feels, more than hears, Doumeki giving a big bellow before running the other way, drawing attention further away from Watanuki.

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"_No!"_

His size mocks him, as his voice loses to the distance between them.

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Given a little time, the blue eyed cat will be heart broken.

He has lost his home, his sole family.

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Doumeki has chosen well, for the high ridge on this building's roof top hides most of Watanuki's diminutive form from view.

With his injured leg, Watanuki couldn't cross the gulf to Doumeki's side any more than he could fly.

The catchers would never notice the tiny black blue-eye when they had a big, spitting specimen on their hands.

The blue eyed cat can do nothing but watch from afar as the proud black cat is brought down by the lumbering men in grey.

His home crumbles to dust.

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Author's Note: Thank you for reading. If it pleases, or displeases you, do review!


	3. Chapter 3: Kibbles

Author's note:

I would like to thank the people who have reviewed, 'favourite-ed', 'alert-ed' Catnip.  
The fuzzies gained from the above will be used to barter for some very good tuna, or inari-zushi; both of which make an appearance in this chapter.

Oh, and before you read…call me a coward; this chapter has little to do with Grey.  
I was *sniffle* afraid that you would begin to run away if too many angst-ish chapters continued.  
Or maybe *wince* my subconsciousness was clamouring for some real sugar. I don't really know. But I find I like 'Kibbles' a bit more than I expected, and I hope you do too.

Disclaimer: I do not own xxxHolic.

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Catnip

By letmeupme

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Large blue eyes blinked.

He couldn't believe it.

_What-?_

Just now, he had placed his lunch on the table.

Inari-zushi.

A small plate of simple food, but he had been looking forward to it.

After the weekdays of slaving under his demanding boss, he'd wanted something easy on the stomach.

Japanese, like his roots.

He'd made it carefully, taking all the steps you didn't have to follow, but made it taste better: steeping the thin slices of fried tofu in sauce from the day before, steaming the rice so it would be on just this side of sticky, roasting the sesame seeds and mincing root vegetables into the tiniest slivers.

The large pieces he'd made especially for lunch were gone.

_Oh, well._

He was probably tired; his nerves were getting the better of him.

He would have to complain to Yuuko on Monday.

There were more inari-zushi on the counter…

"…"

"…"

"Whaaaaaaaaa-!"

A big cat.

A huge cat.

A huge, fucking monstrosity- was sitting on the countertop.

Frigging big, with undecipherable colouring, golden eyes, a rump of a tail thumping on the white surface.

Watanuki knew he needed to calm himself when he could only think,

'_and __you can't even call it calico,'_

_._

It had another inari-zushi in its maw.

It blinked.

"How did you get in?"

The cat blinked again, before reaching sideways to push the window shut.

It resumed staring at him.

"Oh."

So he'd left the window open, and the cat had wandered in.

His irritation was unfounded; it had only been gadding about, as cats were wont to do.

He could just let the cat out.

Or he could ask around if anybody in the neighborhood had lost a cat-

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While Watanuki had been deep in thought, the tray lying out on the counter with its inari-zushi had been ravaged.

Well, maybe not ravaged, but you get the meaning.

"Hey!"

He'd put a lot of effort in those.

"Get away from my inari-zushi!"

He'd made them for himself.

Unlike those chocolate chip cookies Yuuko-san had demanded from him on Friday morning ('I want chocolate chip cookies today, Watanuki. And don't be late!'),

or the thousand layer cake she'd forced him to make for the work-place on Monday ('Oh, but I have the utmost faith in your abilities Watanuki'),

or the oden ('Hmmn. Not quite up to par with the Kitsune-ya.') the week before that. _Grr_.

"Stupid, sushi-snatching cats-"

They were _his_.

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The large creature blinked its golden eyes, and continued staring at the strange human.

He'd never encountered one quite so vocal.

It had no concept of safety, either.

Being so loud, keeping its windows open, it was a wonder it had lived to its age. Though, the noise could be counted as a deterrent.

Maybe it was strong? It did have good food.

Pulling out a container for leftovers, Watanuki's shirt rode up.

The cat frowned. Even with the good food, the human's ribs were showing.

_No common sense._

Winding down to quiet grumbling, Watanuki didn't seem to notice that the cat moved itself away from the inari-zushi with no prompting as he started eating.

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Watanuki sighed, blissfully.

He was feeling full, having finished off the remaining inari-zushi in one sitting.

Not that he meant to, but the cat had forced him.

Kind of.

Whenever Watanuki had stood up to put away the uneaten inari-zushi, the cat would sit up from his new perch on the table, and move closer to the plate.

Watanuki would have ignored it, but the cat had seemed so, _hungry_.

And he would be damned if he let the cat have anymore.

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Sitting next to the strange human, the cat decided that he could live with this.

It was funny, noisy, and flailed a lot-

_._

"_What? No, no, no, no. You're not staying!"_

_The human made a strange pinwheel motion with its arms._

_Doumeki ignored it, and turning away from the open door, walked back to the kitchen. _

_Himawari, a childhood friend, had once said that the best way to communicate with humans was to use their language._

"_What? You're asking me to feed you, aren't you? After all that inari-zushi. I can't believe it, you ungrateful…"_

_Even the stupid ones usually understood a cat when it was waiting in front of their cold food-boxes. _

.

It was high maintenance-

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_Lick, lick._

_Scratch._

"_Arghh! Get off of me, you stupid cat!"_

_Doumeki didn__'t mind waking it._

_It was funny, and besides, it all came with taking care of a human._

_._

It was stupid-

.

_He nudged the bird egg __towards the uncomprehending human._

_Bird eggs were good for fattening up the sick and the young._

"_What are you doing, stupid cat?"_

_The human was neither, but it was __both sickly and stupid, so Doumeki guessed it would work._

.

But Doumeki, for that was his true name, thought he could get used to it.

It made good food, and smelled nice for a human.

A little demanding, but it was cute.

Kind of.

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"Do you have a name?"

The question is out of the blue, different from the wild swings between the ranting tirades and resolute ignoring.

Doumeki stares at the human.

Watanuki stares at the cat.

"You know, because you seem so intent on staying."

When the cat makes no move to acknowledge him, Watanuki gets irritated.

"And don't you dare say you're not staying, because after you practically molested my tuna yesterday, I made the terrible mistake of buying out the whole store of its frozen tuna. Because, you know, it's not good for you to eat so much flavoured rice. A cat is a carnivore, right?"

When it only blinks, he looks away.

"I don't even like tuna, so you're staying. And that means you need a name."

Doumeki smirks.

.

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Watanuki knows it is unreasonable, talking to a cat.

But it feels right.

Even if it is a bit irritating.

"…"

"Fine, ignore me."

"…"

"Be like that. See if I care."

Blink.

"You don't want a name, you don't get one."

"…"

"That's it! You're going on cat kibbles as soon as we're out of tuna!"

The human storms away in a huff.

The large tabby-ish cat silently catches the piece of paper the human had been writing obsessively on for the last few sundowns.

Perusing the lines, he chooses.

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The next morning, Watanuki finds the room littered with scraps of paper.

The cat is gone.

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At 6 o'clock, on a Monday, Watanuki sits, tired, at the table.

He'd called in sick at work, because he'd guessed the large cat could cover large distances, and he would have to search high and low to find it.

He tried, but it hadn't been enough.

The police hadn't had any sightings of the cat,

'_Sorry, sir, but if it hasn't got a collar, chances of anyone calling in about it are low…"_

And he was feeling a bit lonely.

Not that he missed it, or anything.

He was just… pissed off that the tuna was going to go to waste.

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When he finds the cat sleeping behind the couch, he goes off on a rare tangent.

The cleaning supplies with which he had been cleaning the paper from the floor make good props for his wild gestures.

How dare he scare him like that, how rude, and ungrateful, and what a dastardly thing to do, he couldn't believe it.

The cat is as quiet as usual, but it seems a bit puzzled.

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Having told the cat to stay put while he fixed its dinner; Watanuki stomps into the kitchen.

And then he finds it.

Another scrap of paper, it is different from the torn bits he'd cleaned earlier.

Placed carefully in the bowl he usually feeds the cat with, it reads in Watanuki's own careful writing,

_Shizuka._

_Quiet. Tranquil. Laconic, taciturn._

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When the human finally serves dinner, it mutters more than usual.

But after they've finished eating, and it is cleaning the dishes, it says it.

"Shizuka."

Doumeki looks at him.

"It suits you, I think."

Doumeki thinks saying the word 'quiet' daily might be good for the loud human.

"Shizuka. We're getting a collar with that name on it."

"…"

"Ne, Shizuka?"

"…"

"Hey, don't ignore me!"

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Neither of them notices, but they are both content in each other's company.

Watanuki is smiling even as he rants.

Doumeki, no Shizuka, his thump of a tail is wagging even as he steadfastly ignores the human.

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Whoever said that cats don't wag their tails when they're happy?

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Author's Note: Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4: Kibbles

Author's note:  
Character death. If you don't like it, please skip this chapter.  
I used to be a big fan of a manga called Angel Sanctuary, and writing chapter three, I was reminded of the reincarnation theme going throughout the series. I think the idea of reincarnation might work, especially if you combine more Buddhist aspects to it, along with the nine lives cats are said to have.  
And if Kibbles is going to be a reincarnation arc, it's gotta have death in it.

Disclaimer: I do not own xxxHolic.  
I do not own Oeyama-Kaden.  
I do not own Inuyasha.

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Catnip

By letmeupme

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Large black eyes blink.

He can't believe it.

_What-?_

Just now, he'd placed his lunch on the rock.

A lunch of Inari-zushi.

It was simple fare, but he'd been looking forward to it all day.

After slaving under the overlord in his Master's stead, it is no surprise that he is very hungry.

His constitution has never been very good; he needs all the strength he can get.

Now where was his lunch?

He searches, under the rock, around the glade, a few low-branched trees, and the road.

His stomach growls; and he knows that he should hurry home anyhow. The light is dimming, and it would be dangerous for anybody to be alone outside.

_Oh, well. Maybe O-Inari-sama will grant me good luck for my way home._

The kitsune goddess was known for her love of inari-zushi.

Had she been the sushi-thief, it was reasonable to hope that she might reward the provider.

As the young samurai shoulders his katana, he hears something.

Munch.

Scratch.

Munch.

Hesitantly, he investigates.

Slurp.

Surely O-Inari-sama would not eat so loudly, would she?

Upon finding the sushi-stealer, he is flabbergasted.

"You!"

"…"

She is… younger than he would have thought.

And, and…

Watanuki, a samurai of fifteen years, does not yet have the discipline to stop blurting out-

"Where are your tails? Why do you carry a bow?"

O-Inari-sama was known for having nine tails, not a bow and arrows.

This strangely androgynous specimen in a pink silk kimono has no tails, and apparently dabbles in archery. A nice touch illusion-wise, but it doesn't go well with the pink kimono.

Perhaps O-Inari-sama is powerful enough to hide all of her fox attributes in human form?

The question is answered with a question.

"Why are your eyes blue?"

Watanuki stammers at having been addressed by the great, if strange, kitsune.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but my family has no idea why."

It was generally frowned upon in society to have hair browner, eyes lighter coloured than black.

"Our Lord is merciful, however, and has decreed it black. I…"

The goddess seems interested, so Watanuki continues.

"I hadn't thought of it in a long time. Of my eyes being blue, that is, ma'am."

"…"

Curiosity satisfied, the kitsune goddess continues munching her way through Watanuki's lunch.

Uncomfortable with the silence, not knowing whether he should simply go, or to wait for a dismissal,

"Erm, does the sushi meet your expectations, ma'am?"

"It needs more salt."

Slightly irritated that anyone, even a goddess, should insult his mother's cooking, he bites his tongue.

"And you keep calling me ma'am. I'm no woman."

So it can't be helped that when he answers, he is a little more abrupt than before.

"But O-Inari-sama isn't a female?"

The fox stares at him intently, before answering.

"Yes, she is."

Despite his ire, his curiosity slips his tongue.

"Then doesn't it make sense for a human like me to call you with an honorific title we use for females, O-Inari-sama?"

"True. But why do you address me as she?"

Watanuki blinks, again.

"But you are-"

"No, I'm not."

Okay, not O-Inari-sama.

Could it, um, _he_ be one of her disciples?

"Then you are-"

"No, I'm not."

"…"

Birds take flight from the volume of Watanuki's voice when he shrieks.

"Then what the hell are you doing with my lunch!"

"It was there."

By then, the pink-clad male has finished off Watanuki's lunch.

"Thank you, it was good."

Watanuki can only sputter.

"But maybe you shouldn't have screamed so much. They're coming."

Before Watanuki has time to respond to the first sentence, 'they' become visible through the wood line.

The group of bandits, their sneering voices carry over to them.

"Out on a date, eh?"

"The samurai over there; ain't 'e a bit young to have such re'ponsibilities?"

"Yeah… we could take the lady off of his hands."

"But it makes you wonder which would make the better bitch…"

At this affront to his masculinity, Watanuki realizes that the not-a-kitsune archer is stranding protectively in front of him.

He has notched the bow, and his stance is enough to know that the archer has skill.

It is beautiful… it also showed how exactly male the young man was.

Watanuki finds his breath stolen for a moment before scrambling to his feet, unsheathing his blade.

"You can handle that thing?"

"I'm no swords'master, but I'm not half bad."

"If you say so."

"Argh, just, shut up, will you?"

The archer shoots the first warning shot, and without waiting for a response, shoots the next with deadly intent.

Watanuki is tempted to scold him for lack of morals, but seeing how the bandits only grin at the attempt, holds his tongue.

The arrow meets its target.

One, two, three… the bandits fall under the arrows, but there are only so many arrows, and when the archer resignedly sets his bow and arrow case to the side for his daggers, there are still enough of them approaching to be worried about.

"I'm Watanuki Kimihiro. What's yours?"

"Why?

"Because I'm about to enjoy the inglourius glory of fighting back to back with a common sushi thief, you idiot. I'd at least like to know your name."

"… Doumeki. You can call me Doumeki"

The archer is struck by the honesty in those blue- no, black eyes. Watanuki Kimihiro. The boy had given him his name.

.

And then, the bandits are upon them, and the time for niceties is past.

Watanuki had not been lying when he'd said he was not half bad. His almost modest wording came not from lack of skill, but of his body's limited endurance.

Doumeki had not been arrogant when he'd asked whether Watanuki could use his sword, he was almost as skilled with his dagger as with his bow.

Watanuki engages as many of the swords and spears he can, leaving Doumeki with his dagger to defend his back.

The level of trust pleases Doumeki despite the danger.

He now sees how the samurai is at ease with his weapon, and he observes how the samurai is intentionally making moves that are efficient only if Doumeki covers the openings.

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Doumeki wishes he had thought to bring a medium range weapon for his first meeting with the young human, instead of reminiscing of things Watanuki doesn't even remember.

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They defend each other to the best of their ability, and to their credit, the bandits are faring worse than the two younglings.

Still, the archer gains a deep gash on his left arm, the young samurai a wound that crosses his right eye.

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_Why do I feel like I should know this Doumeki?_

The young samurai feels a fleeting concern over this familiarity of working together with a complete stranger.

A sushi-thief, no less.

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"They fight well for a pair of fags, eh?"

"Ay, that they do."

The remaining eight circle the two of them warily.

"Their pretty clothes are all icky now, what should we do with them, eh?"

"Blue eyes won't sell, but the cross-dresser might catch us some pennies."

"As if you aren't eyeing that hakama even with the blood on it."

"Well, yeah, you can't fault a man for good taste, can you?"

The dialogue is distasteful to his sensibilities, but the young samurai feels his body tiring.

.

Whether the archer somehow sensed this, he would never know, but young samurai born on April the First would always be grateful for what the sushi-thief will do.

Maybe he would be a little angry, as well.

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Watanuki is startled when he hears Doumeki whisper.

"…I'm going to push you into the guy with the ragged trousers. I'll watch your back, so don't worry."

"Wha-?"

True to his word, Doumeki knocks Watanuki into the flippant bandit without changing their back to back positions.

Watanuki's body moves on its own accord, feet sliding forward with a calm weight, arms rising slightly to take advantage of the element of surprise.

Ragged Trousers stands no chance, and only the bandits that had been standing on each side of him target Watanuki.

The other five bandits close in on Doumeki.

Dagger against long sword never makes for a fair fight unless the combatants are in a confined space.

Without the unusual advantage of Watanuki's light manoeuvring with the medium range weapon, a dagger alone has no advantage against other swords and spears, and no amount of finesse could make up for it.

But everything is all right, for now.

He loses all use of his right leg as he takes a hit meant to skewer Watanuki, even as he drags the attacker within his striking range.

Blood gushes, gurgling over his fingers as Doumeki straightens himself.

Four down, four to go.

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He only has to hold on a little more, and this Watanuki will be safe, too.

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By the time it is three against two, Watanuki has caught on to what Doumeki is doing.

"Idiot."

This time, he engages two of them, leaving Doumeki with the one bandit.

It is still impossible for the archer to not lose ground with his wounded leg, but exhaustion is catching up to Watanuki.

He is already biting off more than he can chew, here.

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Had the stupid sushi-thief not been so self-sacrificing, he wouldn't have had to try so hard.

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He can only hope that he is capable of taking these two on, and that the idiot is still alive when he is free to help Doumeki out.

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The idiot is frowning as his opponent, the last of the bandits, is killed with a brutal slash of metal.

He knows the cut is so ragged because of what happens to most weapons in battle; you hit flesh and bone, and the bone renders the edge blunt, while grease dirties the blade to slip and scrabble on skin, no matter how clean the movement that carries it.

Blood oozing in a way he has never experienced before, he thinks that that is one of the reasons he has always favoured the bow.

A frantic voice filters through the haze of pain, soothing despite its sting.

"Wake up, Doumeki-san!"

He wishes that he could have spoken to him longer.

"I'm telling you to wake up, you stupid sushi-stealing cross dresser!"

Ah, that is more like it.

"Why did you help me out like that? I'm a warrior, even if I don't look it. I would have been honoured to die fighting, even if it were to be with a sushi-thief."

Watanuki is crying. Somebody, please, stop his crying. It isn't right.

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Doumeki feels like frowning. He has never had to see Watanuki cry over him in their previous encounters, not like this.

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"Why, why does it feel like I've known you for all my life?"

Watanuki's tears are dropping to Doumeki's faces, touching his now sightless eyes.

Doumeki tries to tell him to cut it out, to get home quickly before the scavengers came seeking the blood they smelt.

His vocal chords don't listen to him.

"Stupid, stupid Doumeki-san."

_Doumeki is fine._

He wishes he could have eaten Watanuki's cooking at least once, before moving on.

"I wish,"

Watanuki hesitates. Doumeki knows that the samurai is blushing.

"I hardly know you, but I wish we'd had the time to be friends."

_Sure._

If Doumeki had any say about it, they would have been much more than friends, but he agrees with the sentiment.

He wishes he could have teased him a bit more, maybe stolen a kiss or two.

He wishes he could see Watanuki's eyes.

But it is alright.

The care, the confusion he can hear in the samurai's voice is all he really needs to die content.

The rest- well, he still has a few more lives to go through.

Maybe next time, he could do with something that would clue Watanuki in to his identity a bit more.

Really, to be mistaken for O-Inari-sama?

It was only a little better than being mistaken for a dog, like before. Inu-no-Taisho? Shuten-Doji?

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_Bah._

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Author's notes:

Inglourious - Bastards, anyone?

Inu-no-Taisho – a giant dog demon. A character of the manga / anime series Inuyasha, he is the father of the main character, Inuyasha. The Taisho (great general?) falls in love with a human princess, who gives birth to Inuyasha, a half human, half dog-demon son.

Shuten-Doji – another giant dog demon that was said to have fallen in love with a human princess, and kidnapped her. The romantic tale is the beginning of a story called 'Oeyama-Kaden(The Flower Tales of Oeyama).' 'Oeyama-Kaden' is both a manga and a script. In the original script, the demon that falls in love (more like, um, lust?) with the princess is not any particular type of demon, but poetic license decrees that he shall be a dog in 'Kibbles'.


	5. Chapter 5:Grey

Author's note:  
Disclaimer: I do not own xxxHolic.

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Catnip

By letmeupme

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_Stupid._

Of all the things a puny, weak, strong headed, loud, skinny, _stupid_ cat could possibly do-

_S__tupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid-_

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A cat streaks down an alleyway with neck breaking speed.

His name is Doumeki.

He is often berated by a certain blue eyed friend for his one word sentences.

What Watanuki often forgets, however, is that Doumeki is one intense feline.

True, the most you could usually get out of this gold-eyed cat would be monosyllables, perhaps two word sentences if you were lucky.

His terseness is not for lack of thought or appreciation, however.

It is because Doumeki knows that the truly important things in life, like the taste of good meat and the smell of warm fur- they can not quite be expressed in words, no matter how you choose them. And so he simply grabs at the first words that come to mind to explain himself, much to the discomfort of a dear friend.

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'Stupid' is Doumeki's current receptacle.

It holds his overwhelming need to find Watanuki, who may or may not be in mortal danger.

It is his explanation for how the blue eyed cat could possibly get into this predicament. It represents his frustration, his anger... and perhaps more than a bit of fear.

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If it hadn't been for a warning from the Ragdoll, he wouldn't have known.

He would have continued his daily rounds of his territory.

He would have returned later, futilely searching the areas Watanuki usually kept to, the safer areas, wondering where he was.

And by then, Watanuki would already have been beyond his reach.

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He runs, his desperation lending him speed.

He sees the grey men and their nets first.

Then he hears the unmistakeable hissing, the yowls that are so familiar to him.

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Doumeki doesn't think: not about survival, not about whether he can get Watanuki out of there.

He doesn't think, because he knows hope is too fragile a thing to trust.

_Stupid-_

He will get Watanuki out.

_Stupid-_

He will stop the grey men from taking Watanuki.

_Stupid-_

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Doumeki is never one to regret his own actions.

Everything is justified, the risks and merits weighed and measured before he leaps.

Watanuki being safe justifies the jeopardy of his safety.

Watanuki being alive justifies any sacrifice.

And as he lies, immobilized and wounded in a tiny white cage, he is somewhat content.

The coming darkness surrounds him with the smell of warm fur.

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Author's Note: I'm not too sure about this chapter.  
But I really wanted to post this first, and the next chapter next (argh, I sound stupid).  
So, here it goes.  
If you notice me updating this fic without new chapters, this here is to blame.


	6. Chapter 6: Fur

Disclaimer: I do not own xxxHolic..

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Catnip

By letmeupme

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Once upon a time, in the outskirts of Heian City, there was a bedraggled piece of fur shivering by itself in the cold.

The ball of fur was, in fact, a tiny kitten.

It was a pitiful little thing: all bones and skin.

Its slanted golden eyes shone in the heavy rain.

There had once been a warm bed, with brothers and sisters, and a mother who had lovingly licked him clean from head to bottom.

One day, all had changed, and the world had become the harsh, unforgiving place the kitten now knew it to be.

And so the kitten stayed calm, waiting out the stinging rain, for it also knew that there was nowhere else to go.

And it was on such a day, full of rain and wind, that something caught the kitten's eye.

The kitten blinked.

Standing on wobbly paws, it began its long, agonizing journey across the road.

It was a dangerous journey, punctuated by lightning in the sky and horse shoes stomping in the mud.

There was a reason why the kitten was determined to make it to the other side of the road, however.

For you see, like calls to like, and there was another shivering bundle of fur- no, straw, across the street.

And upon sight, the kitten had just known that it had found a kindred soul; a brother with which it could perhaps share food, or play with.

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"Hello, there."

Apparently, the human with straw fur was of the same opinion.

Why else would it smile at him with chattering teeth, or lift its fur to share its warmth?

"Miao."

The human might or might not have heard him over the rain, but the kitten was content.

Snuggling into the warmth, the kitten slept soundly for the first time in its short life.

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Grey thunderclouds had given way to glaring sunlight, and the muddy streets had reverted to their usual dusty state.

Pawing the straw fur of its newly found 'sibling,' the kitten poked its head out from under its shelter.

Looking up, it met the eyes of the human.

It looked to be almost as young as itself, and just as hungry.

Its cheeks were gaunt and its black fur was infested with lice, but its expression was soft and its voice pleasant.

"You hungry?"

The kitten did not know what the human meant.

So it stared at the human, cocking its head.

The human chuckled, and cradling the kitten in its hands, stood up.

"Well, then, let's go find some lunch, eh? The oden shop by the corner always keeps some really good slop for me."

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Author's Note:  
The following is intended as an omake, an alternative ending for this chapter.  
If you dislike unhappy endings, this is the place to stop for today.

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Sundowns blended into mooncycles and then seasons.

Life was not easy for the kitten and the child, but the duo had grown a steadfast friendship.

The kitten grew steadier on its tiny paws, and the child seemed to find it easier to smile.

Foraging for food, running from irate merchants and frightening armed men, they were busy. Days could pass by with the two of them not meeting.

During the quiet days, however, the days that were full of drowsy sunlight and gentle, cooling rain, the two would find each other over and over, as easily as birds take to the skies.

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And it was on just such a day, another day, that the kitten found the child to be unmoving.

It knew not why- for why would a kitten understand that living on the street was a very different thing for a growing human child and a kitten?

But after a few days waiting for the human to return to its usual state, the kitten- which seemed not so tiny, now- stood on its four paws, and silently padded away.

For while it still did not understand the phenomenon that had taken its playmate away, it did know that the warmth it had come to like in the human was gone, and so were the welcoming smiles and the soft spoken voice.

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Author's notes:  
Just in case you're interested, 'Doumeki' here is actually a very young cat who just happened to have the bad luck to be born with a long tail and white fur.  
I intentionally excluded all mention of this in this chapter, but if you like cats and if you like folklore…

In the old days (especially in the Edo period, which I admit _does_ come quite a bit later than the Heian era) it was believed that cats with long tails could become Bakeneko / Nekomata (the superstition concerning white fur is more of a Chinese thing).  
As such, cats with long tails often lost their tails to fearful townsfolk, and white cats in China were sometimes killed upon sight. Doumeki quite probably was born in a human household, and his owners feared him becoming a bakeneko, but weren't hard-hearted enough to kill him, and so threw him out.

Glossary:  
Bakeneko, or Nekomata – Something akin to werecats in Japanese folklore. Size, age, tail length and manner of death are all considered to be factors in how cats come to be bakeneko.


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